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Billionaire donates $1M to Obama super PAC

Billionaire financier George Soros has given $1 million to the primary super PAC helping President Obama. The funding is a boost to Priorities USA Action in the final weeks of the campaign. Democratic super

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Billionaire financier George Soros has given $1 million to the primary super PAC helping President Obama.

The funding is a boost to Priorities USA Action in the final weeks of the campaign.

Democratic super PACs generally have lagged their GOP counterparts this year in attracting big checks from wealthy donors, in part because Obama initially was opposed to such a move.

The funding situation has improved in recent weeks. Priorities USA raised $10 million in August, its best month to date, compared with $7 million for Restore Our Future, a pro-Romney group.

Soros is also giving $500,000 each to two congressional super PACs, one aimed at protecting the Democratic majority in the Senate and the other dedicated to winning control in the House.

The New York Times was the first to report Soros' donation to the pro-Obama super PAC.

Soros has typically given to grass-roots organizations that are part of what he calls a "progressive infrastructure." This year, he gave $1 million each to American Bridge, a group that does opposition research for Democrats, and America Votes, which coordinates election activity for liberal groups. He also donated $100,000 last month to the House Majority PAC, which is getting a new Soros donation.

In 2010, the Supreme Court paved the way for unlimited campaign spending by corporations and unions.. Obama opposed the ruling in the Citizens United case, then began encouraging such donations to super PACs after GOP groups helping Mitt Romney began raising huge sums.

Soros said in an e-mail to the Times that he also opposed the 2010 Supreme Court ruling but is giving to super PACs because he is "appalled by the Romney campaign which is openly soliciting the money of the rich to starve the state of the money it needs to provide social services."